Journey of the Israelites (Part II) Notes

Journey of the Israelites (Part II)

Escape into the Wilderness and Crossing the Red Sea

• After observing the Passover, the Israelites left Rameses and journeyed on foot to Canaan (Exo 12:37). This signifies humility from the start to the end of spiritual life.
• The Israelites encamped in various places, representing different spiritual experiences, trials, and temptations leading to deeper sanctification.

1. Succoth (Exo 12:37; Num 33:5)

• Here, they were commanded to sanctify the firstborn to the Lord (Exo 13:2) because the firstborn were preserved during the Passover.
• This is related to James 1:18: 'Of His own will begat He (God) us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits His creatures.'

2. Etham (Exo 13:20; Num 33:6)

• Etham means 'fortress,' representing faith in God after experiencing the initial joy of salvation.
• The Lord becomes our strength, rock, and fortress (Psa 18:1,2).
• The Lord guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, illustrating God's guidance at all times.

3. Pihahiroth (Exo 14:2; Num 33:7,8)

• A valley with an abundance of reeds where the Israelites faced the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian army.
• They wavered like the reeds and regretted leaving Egypt (Exo 14:11,12), seeing their situation as an ordeal.
• This reflects the nature of sin causing one to waver even after salvation (Rom 7:18-23).
• Before deliverance, they had to:
  • Cry out to God (Exo 14:10), similar to the cry in Rom 7:24: 'O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?'
  • Put their faith in the Lord and obey God's counsel through Moses (Exo 14:30,31).
  • This is like trusting the Lord and obeying the counsel of God given to the apostles, such as water baptism.

4. Crossing the Red Sea

• Crossing the Red Sea symbolizes water baptism.
• God gave two commands while they were at the Red Sea:
  • 'Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord… ye shall see them again no more forever' (Exo 14:13).
    • In water baptism, we die to our sinful nature and are buried into Christ's death (Rom 6:2-4).
    • Our sinful nature is condemned in the flesh (Rom 8:3).
    • We continually reckon ourselves dead to sin (Rom 6:11).
  • 'Go forward' (Exo 14:15).
    • Obedience to this command mirrors obedience to water baptism, making us partakers of Christ's will.
    • We become alive to God to work righteousness (Rom 6:11-13).
• After crossing, they sang a song of victory (Exo 15:1), signifying triumph.
• At water baptism, the old man with his body of sin is buried in Christ's death, leading to an overcoming life (Rom 6:4-7,9).
• We should seek an overcoming life and obey God's counsel in water baptism.

Memory Verse:

• Romans 6:11-13
• Galatians 2:20

Scripture References

• Exodus 12:37
  • And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.
• Exodus 13:2
  • Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
• Exodus 13:20
  • And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
• Exodus 14:2
  • Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
• Exodus 14:10
  • And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
• Exodus 14:11
  • And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
• Exodus 14:12
  • Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
• Exodus 14:13
  • And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
• Exodus 14:15
  • And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
• Exodus 14:31
  • And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
• Exodus 15:1
  • Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
• Numbers 33:5
  • And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.
• Numbers 33:6
  • And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.
• Numbers 33:7
  • And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baalzephon: and they pitched before Migdol.
• Numbers 33:8
  • And they departed from before Pihahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.
• Psalm 18:1
  • I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
• Psalm 18:2
  • The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
• Romans 6:2-4
  • God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
  • Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
  • Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
• Romans 6:4-7
  • Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
  • For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
  • Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
  • For he that is dead is freed from sin.
• Romans 6:9
  • Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
• Romans 6:11-13
  • Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
  • Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
• Romans 7:18-23
  • For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
  • For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
  • Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
  • I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
  • For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
  • But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
• Romans 7:24
  • O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
• Romans 8:3
  • For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
• James 1:18
  • Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.